Pro-union teachers in the Kenosha Unified School District in Wisconsin failed to reach the 50 percent threshold necessary to reauthorize its union. Only 37 percent of educators voted to reauthorize what was the states third-largest union with 2,400 members last month.

The vote is a result of public-employee union reforms signed by Governor Scott Walker in 2011, which triggered a recall election, in which he eventually prevailed in 2012. The Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill required public unions to hold an annual recertification vote.

The union no longer carries any official status in representing the districts teachers and cannot negotiate for its members as a whole, while it still may represent individual educators. Teachers can still financially contribute to the union as well, but mandatory union dues will no longer be required.

Or the teachers may be tired of having their pay checks targeted while the union leaders get rich and do nothing
Many a year our pay raise did not equal the raise in union dues.
So why join? Pressure from union bosses in the district.
Iow the unions shook down the members and the members now have the power to say no!

Iow the unions shook down the members and the members now have the power to say no!

They always did have that power. Walker's changes didn't affect the freedom to decertify a union. The main thing he did change was collective bargaining for benefits, which are no longer provided by the union. So other than collective bargaining for salaries, they aren't worth much. If the salaries are the same, they're a waste of money. Still, the teachers may anticipate the need for future collective bargaining power over wages, which is why I offered the caution I did.

“Or the teachers may be tired of having their pay checks targeted while the union leaders get rich and do nothing
Many a year our pay raise did not equal the raise in union dues. So why join?”

In NJ public school teachers are our upper middle class; they still get hefty raises despite a property tax cap because the municipalities simply lay off cops, firemen, public works, etc. to keep them living large. Our teachers also know their pay is completely out of sync with the salaries of those paying the teachers, and they couldn’t care less.

In my area there is little mixing between workfare public employees (of any kind) and taxpayers; the animosity is tangible.

You’ve obviously not been or witnessed the treatment of the few or individual who chooses not to belong. As one who has I can assure you the power is not on their side. Your statement does not fit into the reality of the structure
Have often said: state legislature set up the unions vs administration to create a corporate game of “let you and him fight”.— Let the power struggles begin (but not with us. We’re innocent )
The government then stirs the pot, sells tickets to watch the fight thru media coverage and sits back and swears to their own innocence as they goad each side on! Dis functional family behavior at a corporate level.
Good teachers are too busy teaching to fight it so they pay the due and bitch in their 20 minute lunch break !

Know the scenario well. Also know how to sign the form to keep them from donating your money to a candidate you oppose. And what legal actions to take when the above scenario happens. There are actions to take but its tiring and time consuming at the expense of classroom prep etc. it also creates a very hostile work environment

A lot of “saying “ going on. This is long overdue for any kind of union. When a union has been in place so long that none of the current members were born when it was certified-—it’s time for a re-vote. One year might be too often but five years to re-certify is certainly appropriate. It’s the only way to keep the bosses working for the workers instead of the democrats.

Curious - when was the last time the unions held a re-certification vote?

I would suspect that the right to do so was in the union bylaws.

Remember too that this was a small union; it was only in Wisconsin covering but one metropolitan area. Hence my point that a number of those voting to decertify might be seeing the need to join a larger union.

Never underestimate the potential for public school teachers to express leftist militancy.

This was point in my earlier post to you. Prior to Walker's reforms union members did NOT have the ability to force their leadership to re-certify. This was the 3rd largest union per the article and many others have done the same prior to this.

Back in 2012, I was having a beer at a local place here in Green Bay. I started chatting with a couple who were seated beside of me. They had just had a relaxing weekend at their new vacation home in the UP of Michigan.

The wife then mentioned that they both were going to have the entire Summer off and hoped to travel back to Europe again.

The husband lamented that their BMW needed some routine service.

Both husband and wife were teachers in a Brown County high school. Both thought it was downright evil that they would have to pay anything for their health care or retirement.

At the time, I was working 7 days a week. The closest I came to a "vacation" was taking my dad for treatment at MD Anderson in Texas.

35
posted on 09/13/2013 5:29:25 PM PDT
by Volunteer
(Though I know that the hypnotized never lie, do ya? - The Who)

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